Pinas, isinasapinal na ang ‘roadmap’ para sa COVID-19 Alert 1

ISINASAPINAL na ng Pilipinas ang “roadmap” para sa tinatawag na “new normal” o “loosest of 5 COVID-19 alert levels.”

Umaasa kasi ang adviser at researcher ng bansa na mas mapaluluwag na ang restriksyon sa Marso.

“The declaration of Alert Level 1 requires continued adherence to health rules and a high vaccination rate, especially among the elderly and people with comorbidity, who are most at risk of developing severe COVID-19,” ayon kay acting Presidential spokesperson at Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles.

“Right now, pina-finalize na rin po namin sa IATF ang sabihin natin roadmap to Alert Level 1 for NCR, for Metro Manila at kung ano pa man ang mga regions na mag-fulfill ng requirements and conditions,” ani Nograles.

Sa ilalim ng Alert 1, sinabi ni Nograles na maaaring i-require pa rin sa publiko ang pagsusuot ng anti-virus masks at sundin ang physical distancing.

Aniya, ang alert level na ito ay magtatanggal sa limitadong operating capacity ng mga establisimyento.

“Pero ibig po sabihin, kailangan self-regulation, self-policing in establishments themselves,” ayon kay Nograles.

Araw ng Lunes nang ianunsyo ng Malakanyang ang pagbabalik ng Pilipinas sa  low risk classification para sa COVID-19 matapos na tumaas ang record ng infections noong Enero dahil sa highly contagious omicron variant.

“If Metro Manila eases its restrictions next month, this will coincide with summer, when many would want to take a vacation and boost the economy by spending on airfare, hotels, and restaurants,” ayon kay Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Secretary Joey Concepcion.

“Hopefully by March, we see Alert Level 1,” aniya pa rin.

Sinabi pa ni Concepcion na ito lamang ang tanging paraan na “Philippines could replicate the 7.7 percent economic growth in the fourth quarter of 2021, when restrictions were eased.”

“This is the last 4 months of this administration. And my wish is we close with a bang, we close with a good finish, not only that we are able to bring down the cases of omicron… but we also see the economy, momentum, continue to move up,” ani Concepcion.

Nauna rito, sinabi naman ng OCTA research group na ang average daily tally ng COVID-19 cases ay maaaring bumaba ng “less than 1,000 a day” sa Marso.

“Metro Manila’s coronavirus positivity rate is at 6.8 percent and could fall to the 5 percent, which is the benchmark of the World Health Organization, by March 1,” ayon naman kay OCTA fellow Dr. Guido David.

“Mukhang handa na rin naman na i-deescalate na iyong alert level. Siguro may mga other indicators lang na tinitingnan,” aniya pa rin.

Ang isa aniyang indicator ay ang situwasyon sa ilang bahagi na malapit sa Calabarzon region, kung saan ay hindi pa naaabot ang low-risk status dahil sa kanilang healthcare utilization rate.

“Hopefully by the time na mag-Alert level 1 na tayo by March, mababa na talaga iyong risk level natin… minimal na lang ‘yong risk na magkakaroon ng resurgence or major spike in cases,” ayon kay David, isang mathematics professor sa University of the Philippines.

Samantala, pitong lugar naman sa bansa ang nasa ilalim ng Alert 3 hanggang sa pagtatapos ng Pebrero habang mananatili naman sa Alert 2 ang Kalakhang Maynila. (Daris Jose)